Year 5 English: Silent letters
Part of the Year 5 English the year 5-6 word list, silent letters and the thesaurus chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Silent letters
Key pattern
Some words have a silent letter: a letter that is written but not said. You must remember it.
Silent b: doubt, debt. Silent k: knight, knee. Silent w: wrap, write.
Silent h: hour, honest. Silent t: castle, listen, whistle, often.
Silent s: island. Silent g: gnaw, sign. Silent c: scissors.
Key ideas
- A silent letter is written in the word but is not said.
- Silent letters are often found at the start of a word: kn, wr, gn.
- Learn the silent letter as part of the spelling of each word.
- Some silent letters are found in other words from the same family: sign and signature.
Method. Say the word and listen for each sound.
- Say the word. We say knight as nite.nite
- Find the letter that is not said. The k is written but not said.k
- Write the answer. k
Check. The k is silent in knight. ✓
Method. Say the word and listen.
- Say the word. We say doubt as dout.dout
- Find the silent letter. The b is written but not said.b
- Write the answer. b
Check. The b is silent in doubt. ✓
Method. Say the word in two parts.
- Say the word in parts. i-land.i-land
- Find the silent letter. The s is written but not said.s
- Write the answer. s
Check. The s is silent in island. ✓
Exercise 3C Practice: silent letters
Method. Say the word and find the letter that is not said.
- Say the word. We say doubt as dout.dout
- Find the letter. The b is not said.b
- Write the answer. b
Check. b. ✓
Method. Say the word.
- Say the word. We say knee as nee.nee
- Find the letter. The k is not said.k
- Write the answer. k
Check. k. ✓
Method. Say the word.
- Say the word. We say wrap as rap.rap
- Find the letter. The w is not said.w
- Write the answer. w
Check. w. ✓
Method. Say the word.
- Say the word. We say hour as ow-er.ow-er
- Find the letter. The h is not said.h
- Write the answer. h
Check. h. ✓
Method. Say the word in parts.
- Say it in parts. cas-le: the t is not said.cas-le
- Find the letter. The t is written but not said.t
- Write the answer. t
Check. t. ✓
Method. Say the word in parts.
- Say it in parts. lis-en: the t is not said.lis-en
- Find the letter. The t is not said.t
- Write the answer. t
Check. t. ✓
Method. Say the word.
- Say the word. We say gnaw as naw.naw
- Find the letter. The g is not said.g
- Write the answer. g
Check. g. ✓
Method. Say the word.
- Say the word. We say scissors as siz-uz.siz-uz
- Find the letter. The c is written but not said.c
- Write the answer. c
Check. c. ✓
Method. Say the word in parts.
- Say the word in parts. i-land: the s is not said.i-land
- Find the letter. The s is silent.s
- Write the answer. s
Check. s. ✓
Method. Say the word in parts.
- Say it in parts. this-l: the t is written but not said.this-l
- Find the letter. The t is silent in thistle.t
- Write the answer. t
Check. t. ✓
Method. Say the word and check each letter.
- Say the word. We say sword as sord.sord
- Check the letters. The w is written but not said, so it is silent.w is silent
- Write the answer. No; the w in sword is silent
Check. Ali is not right, because the w is silent. ✓
Method. Look for a word with a silent letter at the start.
- Find a word. Knot starts with kn.knot
- Name the silent letter. The k is not said.k is silent
- Write the answer. knot; the k is silent
Check. Knot, and k is silent. ✓
Method. Look at the list words and say each one in parts.
- Find a word. Muscle is said as mus-l.muscle
- Name the letter. The c is not said.c is silent
- Write the answer. muscle; the c is silent
Check. Muscle has a silent c. ✓